Understanding
by anime angel 2007
Summary: Serena's life and world shatter, upon personal tragedy. Two years later, upon her return to Toyko, she is different, no longer the carefree girl that she had once been. Can her rival, Darien, help her return to this state? (AU, no S Moon or Tuxedo Mask
1. Default Chapter

Hey there, it's anime angel, again. Yes, yes, I know I've been quiet for almost a year, but I was having trouble balancing everything in my life. School, Work, Role-play (on a different site, ask me for more info), and fanfic battled it out, with fanfic losing every time. I promise to try and update on both names ASAP.  
  
Anyway, I don't own Sailor Moon or anything that resembles it. Enjoy the fic!!!!!!!  
  
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Understanding  
  
Chapter 1  
  
By: Anime Angel 2007  
  
Darien strolled into the arcade that his best friend, Andrew owned, with a smile on his face as he noticed the younger, but still gorgeous face and bright blond hair of his verbal rival, one Serena Tsukino. His expression altered into a smirk, as he sat down at the counter and waited for his friend to take his order. He ordered his usual, a chocolate shake, extra chocolate.  
  
"Ah, the eternal sweet tooth still lives on, I can see. Here ya go." Andrew joked, as he handed the milkshake to Darien. Not a minute later, Serena strolled up and ordered a sundae, after taking a seat, 2 seats away from the dark-haired man. As Andrew hustled off to fill the order, a cell phone ring was heard. "Moshi moshi? Serena speaking." The blonde said, cheerfully. Darien saw her mouth drop open in a shocked, and what he secretly thought to be, adorable "O." Next, it was his turn to show shock as he heard the stream of English come from her mouth, as if she had been raised in the United States, in a one sided conversation.  
  
"Uncle? You're in Toyko?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Oh, that's right. He did mention the conference, as to where they were going."  
  
"Yes, they took Sammy with them to the hotel, but I am supposed to take a serious test tomorrow. That's why I'm at home? So why are you here?"  
  
"Oh. So you had to be there too, as the other main shareholder? I see. But why did you take time out of your busy schedule just to call me?"  
  
At this point, Darien started to gape like a fish. He even missed the extraordinarily loud curses of Andrew, as the Ice cream machine malfunctioned for what had to be the 3rd time in a row. Serena, however, started to get pale and started to shake, as the silence seemed to stretch into eternity. Her eyes expressed an emotion that only broke the man's heart. Grief, Shock, Pain..... Whatever you wanted to call it, he wished it to be gone. But like other wishes, it was left ungrafted.  
  
"Thanks, Uncle Tagata. I'll be right there. I'm just leaving the arcade."  
  
"Oh, you've sent a ride for me? It's here now. I'll be there soon then." She clicked the cell phone off, and sprinted to the door, as Darien remained rooted to his seat, as his head seemed to turn to follow the blonde's run out of the arcade. He saw her step into a black limo, after knocking some customers who were entering to the floor of the arcade.  
  
He no longer heard English, as Andrew returned with one sundae, which looked perfect, while he was a mess. "Here you are, Serena. One special sundae, just for you....." Andrew trailed off, as he realized the blonde was MIA. "Hey Dar, you see where Serena went to?  
  
Darien was still reeling from shock. Who had transformed the klutzy, ditsy girl, whose charm he loved, into this brilliant and intelligent young woman that spoke English so perfectly and rapidly that he had barely understood it and understood business, to some unknown degree? Lost in these musings of confusion, Darien failed to hear the question, until he felt a smack on his head?  
  
"Jeeze, did you HAVE to do that?" Darien asked, annoyed, out of sheer reflex.  
  
"Actually, yes I did. Did you see where Sere just went off to?  
  
"Yes, Meatball Head just bolted, after getting a call on her cell phone. I have no idea where she went. Andrew, I must ask, did you enjoy your ice cream bath?" Darien said, to 1)tease his long time friend and 2)throw the topic off Serena.  
  
"Har har har, you're a riot. Anyway, I see that her friends must have found out about her cell then. I feel sorry for her now. She may have to change her number again. The last time that her friends found out about it, she changed it. Note to Self: Get new number for Serena."  
  
Darien chuckled at his friends antics, inwardly wondering just how much his friend knew. "Hey man, why don't you go upstairs and change your uniform, while I man the counter for you. You need it, BADLY." Darien pushed his buddy toward the backroom, where he knew a staircase led up to a bedroom that Andrew and he had both been known to crash in sometimes. Also, spare uniforms were kept in a closet. Darien himself grabbed an apron, and started to take and fill orders. Soon, the four teens who were Serena's closest friends came up to order, shocked to see him behind the counter. After he had filled their order, they asked him where Serena was, as she had skipped yet another study session.  
  
"I thought you called her, and she was coming to you?" Andrew said from behind Darien, having just returned.  
  
"No, if you remember correctly, you won't tell us what her cell is, thus we don't know it." Rae said, irritated.  
  
"I see, Darien, can you watch the counter for a minute? I'm going to call her to see what's going on. I don't like the sound of this conversation." Andrew disappeared, into the staff office, before Darien could even agree or ask.  
  
Several minutes later, he returned, but he went straight to the door and switched the open sign to close. Thankfully a majority of the customers had left, and the others seeing this action, started to drift away. Andrew had started to take down various machines, apparently closing early. Darien decided to start to help, as well as the girls, doing less specialized jobs, such as sweeping, mopping, and wiping counters. Shortly, the restaurant was closed, and Andrew disappeared upstairs and appeared down in normal khakis and a polo shirt.  
  
"Thanks for all your help. A family emergency has happened. I need to get going. Sorry, I couldn't reach Serena, but I did try. Why don't you all go home, sorry about this."  
  
"Sure." Mina giggled.  
  
"I'm sure we'll see her tomorrow." Amy said, thinking out loud.  
  
"Thanks anyway." Lita muttered, obviously annoyed.  
  
"Leave it to Meatball Head to leave her cell off." Rae growled, as all the girls walked away, to the temple it seemed, to continue their study session it seemed.  
  
"Talk, Drew. You know what happened to her. I happened to overhear her conversation and it seemed far more serious than you are letting on." Darien said, almost threateningly.  
  
Andrew wondered why Darien would even care, but answered, "I'm sorry. She's like a sister to me. And this is her business. Just give it up." With that, Andrew headed to his car, and drove off, leaving Darien to only question even more.  
  
The next two days no one saw hide or hair of Serena Tsukino. Andrew looked sad and mournful, as if someone died. However, he did go and visit Serena, and secure his promise secrecy, as he helped her pack.  
  
"Thanks, Drew. I really appreciate the help. I'll miss you once I go back to the States with Uncle Tagata."  
  
"And I'll miss you, too. I'll drive you to the airport. You're supposed to meet your uncle there in 3 hours right? How about a final sundae on the house? You can also say hidden goodbyes."  
  
Andrew gave her a tight bear hug, after taping up the final box. He picked up the box and hauled it to the rental truck that had been rented to transport all her familial items that she wanted in storage. The corporate driver took off, and Serena pocketed the key to the house.  
  
"Sure." Serena put a smile on her face, which was obviously a mask.  
  
As they walked calmly to the arcade, attempting to joke and put some cheer into the situation. Andrew's father had opened the shop, since Andrew had helped volunteer to pack. She greeted everyone with her mask-like smile. A rather fun hour and a half was spent. No one but Darien noticed the haunted look in her eyes. He just about to take her aside and ask, when she simply looked in his eyes and did the unthinkable.  
  
"Darien, I'm sure you've figured it out. At least partially. I will tell you now it's highly unlikely that I will ever see you again. I'm about to leave for quite some time, at the very least. So, I wanted to say that I'm sorry. For every little thing. And that I'll miss our fights, they were rather fun."  
  
"I see, well, they were..... interesting. There's just so much to say. And yet no time to say it. I'm sorry, I know I made your life hell. I'm also sorry that I underestimated you. You should flaunt your intelligence. It's not a weakness."  
  
"Thanks." She looked at a watch and met Andrews eyes. It was time to go. She smiled a slight bit and gave him a hug, knowing that he while he didn't know the details, that he understood. Smiling, she walked out the door, a smile that she kept until she left the plane in the US.  
  
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Well, I hope that was okay. This will be updated ASAP!! Read and Review please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Anime Angel 2007


	2. Important Notice

Author's note: Hey all!! I'm just popping in to let everyone know that right now this fic is under rewriting and re-editing, when I have the time to do so. (Which is literally only two days a week at best….. Sorry, I do have a full time job here.) Anyway, to my (probably few) remaining fans: This will be reposted on my Dragona 2007 account, I'm just not sure of when it will be. Until that time, keep an eye out for different fics to come up from me (from that account, that is.

Anime Angel


End file.
